How does my dryer work?

I often speak to people about how their dryers are not doing a good job. They tell me that it seems to turn on alright, but takes 3 or 4 cycles to actually dry the clothes. Why isn’t it working? What seems to be the problem? How can I keep this from happening?

Contrary to some belief, the dryer does not bake your clothes dry. If this was the case, I would urge to you purchase a clothes drying oven. The dryer heats up in order to create water vapor. As the machines heats and tumbles, the water in your clothes evaporates inside the machine. One of the parts you can not see in the machine is an exhaust fan. The dryer takes the warm moist air and exhausts it from the machine; away from the clothes.

The timer knob on the machine does exactly that. It allows the machine to power on for a certain amount of time. If the machine is unable to get the warm moist air away from the clothes, it will not dry them. They clothes will tumble in the heat, but not get the water out. When the timer has finished timing, the dryer will turn itself off.

The best way to ensure that your dryer will dry its best, make sure that you have a short direct path for your exhaust hose. This will allow the moisture a quick path away from your clothes. Ensure that your exhaust vent is free of lint and debris so that the air flow is unobstructed.